<VV> Fan belt tension

[Bryan Blackwell]

Hi Chuck,

The consensus I've gotten from the more experienced Corvair owners is you should be able to turn the alternator or generator fan with one finger.  Another way to get the same tension is to just grab the idler between thumb and fingers and pull straight back for tension.  You'll lose your grip instead of over tightening the belt.  You'd be amazed how loose the belt can be and stay on.  This is how I set ours, it works quite well and I replace belts when they wear out or dry rot.

--Bryan

On Apr 11, 2012, at 12:03 PM, chuck mckinley wrote:

> Speaking of fan belts, I'd like your thoughts on correct tension. I've
> seen very different ideas on this, from very tight (at the risk of
> rapidly wearing out the blower bearing) to loose enough that you can
> just turn the fan by hand with the belt installed. I've tended to use
> the latter approach, as it makes sense, and there's still enough
> friction to turn the generator. Comments?
> 
> Cheers,
> Chuck McKinley
> '63 Monza 900